Oxford Road sign wins national recognition

A traditional hand-painted sign on Oxford Road has secured gold in the Traditional Sign category at the 2025 Sign & Wrap Awards.

A tribute to Oxford Road's past

The sign sits on the corner of Russell Street and Oxford Road. The design is based on a Victorian street sign that once stood in the same place, and lists the names of shop owners who have traded there since 1829.

The idea came from a group of local history volunteers from the Reading Conservation Area Advisory Committee. They shared archive records showing the history of the buildings and conducted research to help bring the project to life.

Craftsmanship and collaboration

The sign was designed and hand-painted by signwriter Tomos Jones from Momo Signs. He spent eight days painting each name by hand using traditional brushes and oil-based paints. Every colour was mixed specially to give the sign an aged, 200-year-old look.

Before the sign could be painted, Cliveden Conservation repaired the wall using old-style building materials like lime mortar and lime render. This helped make a strong base for the new sign.

Part of a bigger project

The sign is part of a four-year programme to improve historic parts of Reading. Reading Borough Council received £800,000 from Historic England and matched it with another £800,000 to fund the High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ). The programme has helped restore buildings, signs and monuments around the town.

A project to be proud of

Cllr Adele Barnett-Ward, Lead Councillor for Leisure and Culture

“We are absolutely thrilled to receive this national award on behalf of everybody involved, including the Reading Conservation Area Committee and our partners at Momo Signs and Cliveden Conservation.

Reading was fortunate to be one of only 67 areas to benefit from the generous funding from Historic England to invest in our historic high streets in and around the town centre.

The concept of the HSHAZ was to future-proof high streets by highlighting the heritage that is already there protecting and enhancing these historic areas and also celebrating their uniqueness. The Oxford Road sign was a great example of the important work which has taken place as part of the project and the Oxford Road sign is a lovely nod to the past. It’s wonderful that it’s now been recognised in this way.”

Tomos Jones, Momo Signs

“I’m absolutely thrilled for the Oxford Road sign to have won the award, it was a real labour of love. It means a lot to me that this sign has been recognised, appreciated and celebrated by others in the industry.”

Lewis Proudfoot, Managing Director of Cliveden Conservation

"Working with Reading Borough Council and Tomos Jones to preserve and restore the town's rich heritage has been an honour. The Oxford Road Mural is a wonderful example of Tomos’s traditional sign writing skills and a well-deserved winner."